Born and raised in the Maine fishing village of Gotts Island, Ruth Moore (1903–1989) emerged as one of the most important Maine authors of the twentieth century, best known for her authentic portrayals of Maine people and her evocative descriptions of the state. In her time, she was favorably compared to Faulkner, Steinbeck, and O’Connor. She graduated from Albany State Teacher’s College and worked at a variety of jobs in New York, Washington, D.C., and California.

"The Weir," her debut novel in 1943, was hailed by critics and established Moore as an important and popular novelist, but her second novel "Spoonhandle" soared to great success, spending fourteen weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. The novel was also made into the movie, "Deep Waters."

Ultimately, she wrote fourteen novels. Moore and her partner, Eleanor Mayo, travelled extensively, but never again lived outside of Maine. Moore died in Bar Harbor in 1989, leaving a nearly unmatched literary legacy.

Choose your favorites from this list of her works.